A Convict's Love
by Colleen4090
Summary: Sofia is just a girl trying to make her way through life. Then she meets Jean Valjean. With him wanting to start a new life and her wanting to live life, they decided to leave together and live their lives. Follow them as they travel through France and learn to love one another. (Follows the movie and the musical. Shitty summary I know.)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

I hoped someone would answer the door. It's cold out and I can tell it's supposed to snow soon. I knew that I was dressed in adequately but I had to leave my home and I had to leave quickly. The church door slowly creaking open brought me out of my thoughts and I looked up at the older gentleman who answered the door.

"How can I help you, my child?" The bishop asked.

"Please, I need a place to stay and I heard that you could help. I don't have anything to pay with but I can help you around the church to pay off an expenses. I can clean or cook," I said starting to panic.

"Calm down, please," the bishop said in a gentle tone. "You may stay for as long as you need." The bishop ushered me into the church and the warmth of the church enveloped me.

"Thank you," I say quickly, "thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you but I will."

"Don't worry about that, just tell me your name, my child, please," he said.

"Sofia. My name is Sofia."

A month later, I was still living at the church with the bishop. I got a job working as a barmaid in a local tavern and was saving up to move into my own house. I tried giving the bishop some of the money I had earned but he just told me to keep it. Instead I would cook dinner for him before leaving to work at the tavern.

"Sofia, please prepare an extra plate for dinner tonight. We have a guest tonight," the bishop said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Who is it?" I asked as I pulled the bread out of the oven.

"A former convict, who needs a place to stay for the night," he tells me calmly. My eyes widen in fear.

"A convict? Bishop, are you sure about this? You don't know what he has done to end up in jail. What if he's a killer? What if he robs us?" I said panicking.

"Calm down, my child. Remember you where also once a stranger and you could've done all the things that you just listed off," he reminds me.

"I know but."

"He is a man, who hasn't been treated with kindness in recent years. Everyone is human and deserves to be treated with kindness, compassion and love," the bishop reminds me.

"Your right," I conceded. "I'll be up in a few minutes with dinner."

The bishop gives me a small smile before turning around and heading back into the dining room. I slice up the bread and grab another one of the silver plates from the cupboard. I arrange the food and walk through the door. I slow down my walk as I get closer to the dining room. There is just this feeling in my stomach that something big is gonna happen and I'm scared to find out what the big change is.

"There she is," the bishop says as I set his plate in front of him. "Sofia, this is Jean Valjean. Our guest for the night."

"Pleasure meeting you, Jean" I say as I put his plate in front of him and sit down in my seat. Jean immediately digs into his food like a savage. I look at the bishop but he just starts saying the blessing as if nothing is wrong.

"Bless the food we eat, and bless our new friend that we meet here today. Also please watch over Sofia as she works tonight and keep her safe. Amen."

Jean had stopped eating during the blessing but as soon as he saw me start to eat he went back to slurping his food down. All through dinner I avoided making eye contact and looking at him all through dinner.

As I put on my cloak, I heard footsteps approaching me.

"That was a good meal you cooked. Best I've had in a while," someone from behind me said. I turned around and was met with Jean staring right at me. I finally get a good look at Jean. His eyes were sunken in, and if you just stared at them there was a harder look to him, as if he had seen things. Jean was also very muscular, and tall. In fact, he towered over me.

"Thank you, but I must get going now. Don't want to be late to work," I tell him, opening the door.

"Okay. Bye," he waved at me and I waved back. I gave him a smile and walked off into the night towards the tavern.

Hours later as the last patron was leaving and the sun was starting to rise, I hear a commotion in the street. Running out into the cold morning, I see two constables of the town dragging a man towards the church. I grab my cloak and run out of the tavern.

"You maintain he made a present of this silver," one of the constables said.

"That's right. But my friend you left so early surely something slipped your mind you forgot I gave these also would you leave the best behind," the bishop says and my eyes widen in shock as he hands Jean the two silver candlesticks sitting on the table. "Release him, please."

The constables release Jean and I watch them leave before walking towards Jean and the bishop.

"You must use this silver to become an honest man," the bishop tells him and I watch Jean nod in agreement.

"I told you. A convict can not be trusted," I say before turning around and heading towards the kitchen to start cleaning it up.

After I had finished, I looked up into the window and saw Jean tearing up his parolee card. I was shocked that he would do such a thing but then I start to feel guilty about what I had said earlier and all the judgments I had made about him. The man had come from nothing and being hated and I had added onto that. I slowly walk out into the garden and find him sitting on the grass.

"Mind if I join you?" I ask. He turns around, startled to find some one out here with him.

"I don't mind," he says and I sit next to him watching the sun continue it's rise into the sky. "I wanted to apologize for the comment I made earlier. It was wrong and out of line. You are no longer a convict but a free man and I shouldn't have been so judgmental."

"It's fine. I've gotten used to it after a while," Jean says. We both sit there in silence together. I lean my head onto his shoulder and just breath a sigh of content.

"I saw you rip up your parolee papers, not very smart by the way."

"I want to start a new life without people judging me for whats on some stupid paper."

"We should leave together," I say looking up at him. Jean stares down at me in confusion.

"I want to leave this small town behind and you want to start a new life. We both want the same thing. I have some money saved up and we could do it together. I know it sounds crazy. .. "

"No, it actually makes sense." I give him a big smile and he smiles back at me.

"Theres only a small problem," I say a littler nervously.

"What is it?"

"Well, a unmarried man and an unmarried woman traveling together raises some red flags," I say and watch as he gets the idea.

"So marry me."

"What?"

"Marry me and we can leave and live a new life together. But first do you want to know what I did?"

"I will marry you and no. It's not important now." Jean stands up and offers me his hand which I gladly take. I stare out across the town before heading into the church to ask the bishop to marry us.


	2. Chapter 1

_6 Years Later_

"You know, I don't trust that foreman that you hired," I said as the carriage bounced along the street. I watched the poor people pass by, covered in the markings of the plague and had to turn away from the sight. It was just too much to look at.

"He's the best we could get, Sofia. Unless you would like to work there but your not going too," Jean tells me. "Besides whats so wrong with him?"

"Well, I've heard from the girls that he's drunk and a little too handsy," I tell him honestly as I look out the window of our carriage.

"I'll look into it. Something else is on your mind, what's wrong love?" Jean always new me too well.

"Years ago we were like the poor right outside the window of this carriage and now look at us," I gesture around the carriage and to our clothes. "I just wish we could do something to help."

"We can. I'll figure out something. Well looks like we walk from here," Jean tells me as the carriage stops. He gets out first and comes around and helps me out. I smooth out my long green skirt and fix my sleeves. It was then that I hear it. Girls Yelling and it was coming from Jean's factory. Jean immediately grabs my hand, I hitch up skirt and we run towards the factory. When we get there, we see whats going. Two of the workers were fighting about something with the rest of the girls crowding around them.

"What's going on here?" I yell. Some of the workers notice us and move but the two girls keep fighting.

"Someone tear these two apart! This is a factory not a circus!" Jean yells. By then the fighting had stopped. "C'mon ladies settle down. We," Jean motions between the both of us, "run a business of repute -"

Jean stopped suddenly and looked up at his office. I follow his gaze and see the new police inspector standing there. He looked familiar, I had seen him somewhere but I wasn't sure. I turned to speak to Jean but he was speaking to the foreman in a hushed tone.

"C'mon Sofia. Let's go meet the new Inspector." I follow Jean up the stairs to his offices and before we enter the room, Jean pauses.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. He turns and faces me.

"He was an officer at the prison where I was held," Jean whispers to me.

"Oh God. I don't think he'll recognize you. You have a fuller face now, a beard is growing out. You look nothing like the did when you came to that church six years ago," I tell him honestly. I put my hand on his cheek and he leans into it. "If he does recognize you then we will figure it out. Just like we always have."

Jean gently pulls my hand from his cheek to his lips and kiss them.

"You always know what to say," I smile up at him, "lets go meet this man."

Jean walks into the office first and I follow behind him. The new police inspector stands up and does a small bow as I stand next to Jean and link my arm through his.

"Bonjuer, Monsieur le Mayor. I am Javert. I am here at your command to help this city. I'm sorry I didn't see you there…" Javert trails off waiting for me to answer him.

"Sofie. My name is Sofie. I'm the Mayor's wife," I answer for him.

"Sofia, do you mind leaving us for a while? I know you have some shopping to do. I'll meet you at home," Jean gives me a quick kiss on the forehead and almost forces me out of the office. I get my shopping done and head home. As I'm sitting in the living room reading, Jean barges in. I look up at him as he takes off his coat and hat.

"How'd the meeting go?" I ask him as I close my book.

"It's going to snow out tonight. I was thinking we could go out and give money to some of the poor people." He was avoiding the subject and I knew it.

"Jean, did he recognize you?" I ask.

"No."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "That's good. Now what about going out tonight? I think we should go now."

A few hours later and we were making our way to where all the prostitutes work. Jean and I watched in horror as a man attacked on of the girls.

"I'll kill you, you bastard!" The girl hit the man and then Javert appeared.

"Jean we have to help that girl, she's done nothing wrong," i say, panicking.

"Calm down, Sofia."

"Calm down! How can I? Listen that woman has a child and is sick she needs our help. If your not going to do anything, I will." And with that, I stormed over to where Javert and the prostitute was.

"Wait! I believe what she is saying," I tell the crowd. "Thank you Javert for what you have done but this woman needs a hospital not a jail."

"Can this be?" The woman says. I kneel next to her and Jean comes beside me.

"I recognize you but I don't know where from," Jean says and the woman laughs.

"Don't mock me now, please. It's hard enough I've lost my pride. You let your forman send me away. Yes you were there and turned aside. I never did no wrong," she tells us. Jean and I look at each other with guilt.

"We will help you now. What's your childs name? We will send for her," I tell the woman.

"Cosette."

"Cosette. Such a lovely name. Come with me and I will take you to the hospital," I tell her.

"But wait-" Javert says but Jean interrupts him.

"No, Sofia is taking her to the hospital and thats final."

We all stop when we hear a cart crash. People were yelling and screaming,

"Sofia, take her to the hospital! I will meet you there! Javert come with me," Jean yells before taking off to the cart crash.

"Come along," I say gently. "Your child will be here soon."


	3. Chapter 2

I paced the floors of the hospital waiting for Jean. It had been hours since I had seen him, I was worried. The nurses where giving me weird looks as I paced in front of the door waiting for him. The door bursts open and there Jean stands

"Where have you been? Have you been able to find Fantine's child? What's wrong?" I spew all these questions at him.

"Who's Fantine?" Jean asks. I can tell he's distracted but he won't tell me anything.

"Cosette's mother. The woman that was fired from our factory by the drunk foreman! And what is wrong? You are so distracted, what happend?" I yell at him.

"Javert recognized me. But then he said that they had already caught me, and was facing trial tonight. So I went to the trial and announced that the man on trial was not Jean Valjean but I was. Javert knows who I am and is coming here to arrest me," Jean says. I don't say anything. I don't know what to say.

"Why didn't you just stay quiet? If you hadn't interrupted the trial, then Inspector Javert wouldn't have done anything. We could've lived a normal life," I tell him. "One where we wouldn't have to worry about the police catching you." I reach up to grab his cheeks but he grabs my wrist.

"I couldn't do that to an innocent man. I couldn't lie. God would-"

"Excuse me but I think the lady that you brought in, is not going to make it much longer. You can go see her now," A nurse says to us.

I lead Jean to her room, where she is hallucinating her child and calling out for her.

"Shhh Fantine," I say as I lead her back to her bed. "Our time is running out."

"Look madame, where all the children play," she says. I feel her forehead and its burning up. I give Jean a sad look. We both know she won't make it much longer. "Take my child."

"What?" I ask.

"My child. I give her to your keeping. Keep her safe. Make sure she has a good life. Love her as you would your own," Fanzine says. Jean and I have never talked about children before. I don't know how he'll react.

"We will keep her safe," Jean says.

"Thank you. Stay with me, please. Till I am at least sleeping, I beg you." I sit down beside her and hold her hand. Her eyes. There glazed over. I feel tears slowly start trickling down my face.

"We wont leave you. Not now, Fanzine," I tell her.

"Tell Cosette I love her and I'll see her when I wake" Death is a simple thing. Fantine falls asleep, with a smile on her face. I let out a sob. I can't stop crying. Jean hugs and I cry. I scream. I cry for this woman that I hardly knew yet was treated so terribly. And I was one of those reasons why.

"Shhhh, Sofie. Let it all out," Jean says as he runs his hands up and down my back, trying to soothe me. I look up at him.

"Her child. We need to get her child." I start moving to get out of the hospital. I see him.

"Hello, Sofie. I'm here for your husband," Javert tells me.

"No, please. This woman has a child. I need him with me to get her," I plead.

"3 days, Javert, that's all I need," Jean begs. Javert pulls his sword out. "Sofie, get out of the way!"

"No! Please, I beg you, 3 days thats all we need. Then he'll return, please," I cry.

"No. Now move out of the way!" Javert yells. Suddenly, I am pushed out of the way. My head makes contact with the ground. Hard. I hear ringing and I'm disoriented. All I want is to run. Find Cosette. Get away. Find Cosette. Get away. I repeat it over and over.

"-born inside a jail. I am from the gutter too," I hear Javert say.

"Born in a jail?" I whisper. I know him. I know him but I cant remember where. I feel myself get lifted off the ground, and I black out.

"Born in a jail," I say and startle myself awake. I'm moving. no the carriage is moving. How did I get into a carriage. I panic.

"Your okay, Sofie. Look at me. Everything is okay." I look at Jean with wide eyes. I was so scared. "Breathe, Sofie. In and out. Everything is okay. We are on our way to get Cosette."

"Cosette. Get Cosette," I whisper.

"Yes. We are on our way to get Cosette."

I need to tell him. I figured out where I knew Javert from. I don't think he'll like it.

"I knew Javert. When we were children. We we're both sent to the same orphanage," I say, randomly.

"What? Do you think he recognized you?" Jean asks.

"No. Other wise he would've said something," I tell him truthfully. We fall back into a peaceful silence with just the horse hooves hitting the ground breaking the silence.

"I wanted to apologize for pushing-" Something catches my eye. A small figure just outside the window of the carriage

"Did you see that?" I ask.

"See what?"

"STOP THE CARRIAGE!" The carriage immediately stops and I run for it. I want to find the small figure in the woods.

"SOFIE, STOP!" I don't stop. Not until I find it. I slow to a walk when I see a pail that has been dropped. Kneeling down, I pick it up and look around for the owner of the pail, when I spot her, the small figure.

"Sofie, please don't run off on me like that," Jean begs when he catches up to me. I ignore him.

"Hello child. Please don't be afraid of us. My name's Sofie," I indicate to myself, "this is my husband, Jean. We want to help you."

"No." The child says.

"Please let us, help. We won't hurt you." I hold my hand out. She slowly walks towards us, and takes my hand. I notice that she is dressed in rags. I send up, and put my coat around her. Jean picks her up and we start back towards the carriage.

"What's your name, Sweetie?" I ask.

"Cosette." I smile at her and Jean. We had found her. Our new child.

"Cosette. What a lovely name."


End file.
